Brazilian Steakhouse

Last week, Amber and I went to Fogo de Chão for dinner. It is a Brazilian steakhouse tradition known as “Churrasco.” According to the restaurant website:

Churrasco (shoo – rás – ko) has been a culinary tradition for more than three centuries in Rio Grande do Sul (Southern Brazil). In the olden days, “Gaúchos” (Southern Brazilian cowboys) pierced large pieces of meat and slowly roasted them over open flamed pits, while talking about their adventures on the plains.

It is fun the way they serve you at these restaurants. Waiters go around carrying meat on skewers and stop to offer you some if you have the card on your table set to green (“go”). Then they’ll cut a slice of meat right there on the table. When you want a break, which you do since the waiters come very frequently, you flip the card to its red side.

Not only is the meat very good, the salad bar is great too. I have been to another Brazilian steakhouse before, but it was Amber’s first time and I had a feeling she would fill up on the salad. That is exactly what happened. I, on the other hand, had skipped lunch to gorge on the meat.

Atlanta is sort of becoming the capital for these Brazilian restaurants in recent years. There are at least 5 churrascarias here now that I know of.

Highly recommended, though expensive. Dinner alone costs $45 per person. Add drinks and dessert and it could be much higher.

Captain: Considering that we went to Fogo on Valentine’s day, I would take the comparison with a few grains of salt. The quality of the food seemed equal, the waiters were better at Sal Grosso (that might be because of Valentine’s) and the price was cheaper at Sal Grosso too.

I liked the method of serving, know why, this is how Kashmiris used to serve, not only at restaurants but also at the feasts at homes. I Don’t know they do it even now because good traditions in this part of the globe are dying fast. It is said that their used to be 101 types of meals but I have had 21 in one feast in Muzaffarabad (the liberated part of state Jammu & Kashmir) in 1974 AD. The serving man comes near the guest and, if the guest signals yes with his hand, he serves him otherwise goes ahead and comes in the next round.